Before a Different Story
by AbyssalWolf
Summary: What if Jevil had not been freed alone?
1. A Mysterious Figure

Colours swirled around the room, enchanting, twisting as if brought to life. Through the hazy veil a jester juggled merrily, joy and laughter gleaming in his bright eyes as he effortlessly dodged attacks thrown by his companion. It wasn't the first time that they had performed this trickm but the only time they had royals watching the show, and they had made sure to look the part. Golden bells gleamed from a good polish, attached to a pristine purple and black hat. His costume had been thoroughly cleaned, so every stitch showed up, neat and crisp. Even the magician, who was notorious for not washing his cape had made an effort. His cape's normally dulled colours now shone with the same bright hues that had not been seen in an age, and it sat nestled between his soft, combed fur.

The four kings watched their display go on, getying more and more hazardous as it went on. The juggled hearts had distorted, stretched and bent until they had changed into scythes that spun at an incredible speed, so much so that it was a wonder that he did not lose a limb. Attacks flew faster and faster, both from the air and rolling across the ground, indeed, one came straight at him, but he simply sprang and landed on top of it, and continued. As the show wound up, and the duo prepared for the grand finale, the jusggler noticed a strange figure standing alone at the back of the audience. Dressdd all in bkack, melting into the shadow, with a faces as pale and round as the moon, the person watched on expressionless. It was only when he noticed the performer staring at him that his face changed to show surprise, while his edges started flickering, seeming to disappear altogether.

For the figure on stage, this was astonishingly peculiar, so much si that he lost some of his focus. He went to toss his scythes up in the air, but lost his balance and fell off the pearl, landing on his bacj with his feet sticking out at comical angles. The weapons exploded in a firework display, showering the onlookers in confetti, as the colours slowed to a halt before ultimately disappearing. The crowd stood and roared their applause, and onstage the jester flipped himself upright in one smooth motion, landing on his feet and taking a bow. But his eyes searched for the mysterious stranger, but found none. It was curious, though he did not have time to ponder as he was bustled offstage. In the wings his companion turnee to him 'What happened out there, Jevil? You _never_ lose your balance!"

The jester, Jevil, took no notice of the question, and waved it aside, pushing forwards his own question. "Seam, did you see the figure, so strange, strange"

"We were performing in front of KINGS, of course they would be strange"

"Not a king, a stranger. Not from here, no, no, never seen before"

"No, I didn't, but what I did see was you messing up."

Jevil's bells drooped to see his friend scolding him with fur bristling and ears standing on end. "You disgraced us in front of the Kings!"

Jevil made the unwise desicion to point out that they had never seen the routine before and thought it was part of it, and he was a jester, after all. Comedic slips were second nature.

That was when Seam lost it.

"THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE NOTICED, BUT I CERTAINLY DID. YOU MESSED UP YOUR SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT PERFORMANCE _OF YOUR LIFE_ AND YOU DON'T CARE?! I AM DISAPPOINTED IN YOU!"

His partner looked down at his feet. Tears were threatening to fall from his watering eyes, but he could not let Seam know that. It would just make him seam more pathetic, so he muttered a quiet 'sorry' and ran off.

As he watched his companion flee, Seam felt terrible. He had been too harsh on him, and look at what he had done. He reached out, to call for his friend to come back, to say sorry, _something,_ but when he tried, the small figure had disappeared around the corner.

And he was left alone.


	2. Dark, Darker yet Darker

Jevil fled the room, his eyes now streaming cold tears that left silvery traces on his face as they fell. He collapsed in a darkened room, one he visited often when he wanted to be alone. No-one else seemed to know the location of it, and he never saw anyone even come down. Not to clean, not to visit, not at all. So he had decided to claim it as his own.

His legs gave way and he fell limply to the floor. His sobs grew louder, for he knew that no-one would here him down here. It was a disheartening thought, so he distracted himself by thinking about what he had done.

Jevil had only faltered for a second, but oh, how Seam had been so angry at him! He would never have done anything wrong to him on purpose, not for someone as kind and loving as Seam! But he had, and in that sense, he had failed, so what was there left? Would he really forgive him for what he had done, and annoyed him so much? And would he be able to forgive himself even if he did?

His situation felt hopeless, and Jevil kept weeping until he felt useless and the sobs turned into hiccups. He hung his head, and felt ashamed of his actions. But that was when he felt a hand laid on his shoulder, a comforting gesture, perhaps, but from who? He looked from the skeletal hand, to the round, white face staring at him. The figure from earlier. Jevil stared back at him, and in the darkness the person? seemed to have no body, simply the whole of the darkness, though more of the bony hands were suspended in mid air. They were strange, and had a hole straight through the middle, or so it seemed. The jester tested it out by poking his finger through, and found that though there seemed to be nothing there, the negative space seemed to have mass, a jelly-like texture that felt so weird to touch.

Just then the figure spoke. It's gaping mouth did not move, though sounds came out, nonsensical noises, though somehow Jevil could hear their meaning in his head. "Little jester, why are you here?"

He had a feeling that the stranger _knew_ what happened, but told him anyway. "I messed up, not good, not good. Seam was very angry"

"I see"  
A pause for a moment.  
"Would you like to see?"

"See, see? But what would I see?"/p

"Oh, I can show you a great many things..." Two hands wrapped around his face, and he peered through the holes in their palms. And for the first time, he truly Saw.

He Saw the world as it truly was, nothing but a game, a game played by children. Children who had grown tired, bored and left it, abandoned it. He Saw the people he had once known as friends, now just pieces in the grand scheme that would never be realised. He Saw himself. Terrifying yet calm as he Saw his form, the one he had been given before it had begun, and so he Knew that he would never be able to see his world the same. No-one would be a distraction, not now that he could See them. And the hands came away.

He looked up sagely at the stranger, a true stranger, and nodded. "I see, thank you, thank you." He hesitated for a second. "But what do I call you?"

The white face leaned down close and spoke once more, "you can call me... Gaster"


	3. Another Timeline

Seam searched around for his friend, calling out his name and checking in every room to see if he was there. Not a single reply came back to his ears. There was no laughter, no footsteps, not even the jingling of his little bells to accompany the echoes that Seam sent across the empty hall. Nighttime in the castle was a dismal thing, a smattering of dark shadows lay across every wall, leaving only a dim eerie glow to illuminate from sparse windows. Jevil hated that. 'No light, no joy, such a sad, sad thing.'

The magician sighed again. Had he not been so _stupid_ he might have been able to stop him running off. Seam felt he wouldn't find his companion again unless he wanted to be found. ' _If only I could have put my prideful self after him!'_ Jevil was family, and never hesitated to make him feel happy, even if it meant the jester was humiliated.

The cat reached the end of the castle, and sighed as he looked out over the waving grass outside. He wouldn't venture out there, he knew Jevil never came this way alone. But he had looked everywhere. Not a single sign that the jester had been there. As if he had just vanished. _And it's all your fault._ Seam slumped aginst the wall miserably, closed his eyes, and for the first time in years, a teardrop slipped and fell to the floor.

But as he sat there he noticed a bright light shining behind his eyelids. Cracking one eye open, he peered out, the hall's details blending together through his bleary gaze. Strangely, it was pitch black, not a trace of light peircing through. _Odd, it felt almost as if someone was watching him._ He closed his eyes again, ready to get lost in his thoughts again. A bell tinkled nearby. They snapped open and quickly darted around. Nothing. No-one. But how, when he could hear chuckling close.

Rising, Seam stepped tentatively down the hallway. He called out his friend's name softly, and padded slowly back towards the castle. There was only another laugh in reply, and the bells grew further away. But there was no mistaking them this time. They were undoubtedly Jevil's, and the magician broke into a run to catch them. "Jevil, please come back, I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry!"

He followed the darkness up staircases, and through twisting hallways, the familiar jingling always one step in front, no matter how fast he ran. Seam did not take in the surroundings, and before he knew it, he was heading down in an elevator bound for who-knows-where. It arrived at the destination, wherever that was, and as he stepped out, the door shut and locked behind him. He turned, though shrugged, only a minor issue, and it didn't matter, not when his friend could be in reach.

Racing down the steep steps, almost tripping over his own paws, Seam found himself faced with a gaping entrance to a massive cavern, blanketed in inky blackness, though the exterior was reasonably well-lit. He sighed and with a final glance stepped into it.

The first thing he noticed in the dark was that it felt... alive, somehow. Though he could physically feel no difference, the whole place was thrumming with energy, and almost _breathing_ somehow. But, still he moved forwards, and turned the corner to see a figure, face half covered in the shadows, standing, staring at him.

Jevil.

Seam ran forwards, arms outstretched to hug his friend. Pulling him into a warm embrace, he joyfully spoke and the words came tumbling out, "Jevil! Oh my friend I am so sorry, it's my fault, it's all my fault, I'm sorry"

The jester just strangely smiled, not a truly happy one yet not a truly sad one. "It doesn't matter, matter! I See now Seam, I See!"

"What do you mean?"

"I know the Truth"

"I still don't understand"

"Here, let me show you..." Out of nowhere, two hands wrapped themselves around his face, and he blinked as he Saw right through the middle, into the void. Only a few seconds had passed when he finally came back to their reality, but it felt like a lifetime. He looked up at Jevil and smiled, "I can See it now, thank you, thank you!"

"Nothing matters when the world is a game, game!"

"Chaos will set them free!"

"Why don't we go and play"


End file.
